Murdoch University Protocols for Underwater Activities May 2005 Table of Contents 1. PURPOSE .............................................................................................................................. 3 2. SCOPE ................................................................................................................................... 3 3. REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 3 4. DEFINITIONS ....................................................................................................................... 3 5. RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................ 7 5.1 Dive Officer ..................................................................................................................... 7 5.2 Dive Team Leader............................................................................................................ 7 5.3 Diver ................................................................................................................................ 7 5.4 Dive Boat Operator .......................................................................................................... 8 5.5 Diving restrictions ............................................................................................................ 8 5.5.1 Food and drink .......................................................................................................... 8 5.5.2 Alcohol ...................................................................................................................... 8 5.5.3 Sleep .......................................................................................................................... 8 5.5.4 Cold ........................................................................................................................... 9 5.5.6 Drugs ......................................................................................................................... 9 5.5.7 Diving before or after travel (by car or aeroplane) or after decompression sickness .......................................................................................................................................... 10 6. CLASSIFICATIONS AND TRAINING ............................................................................. 11 6.1 Medical requirements..................................................................................................... 11 6.2 Status and training.......................................................................................................... 11 6.3 Minimum requirements .................................................................................................. 11 7. EQUIPMENT ...................................................................................................................... 13 7.1 Dive Equipment ............................................................................................................. 13 7.1.1 Dive computers ....................................................................................................... 13 7.2 Safety Equipment on Dive Boats ................................................................................... 13 7.3 Pneumatic tools .............................................................................................................. 13 8. PROCEDURES.................................................................................................................... 14 8.1 Pre-departure .................................................................................................................. 14 8.2 Normal Diving Procedures ............................................................................................ 14 8.2.1 Pre-dive Preparation................................................................................................ 14 8.2.2 On-site ..................................................................................................................... 15 8.2.3 Loss of buddy contact ............................................................................................. 15 8.2.4 Post Dive ................................................................................................................. 15 8.3 Shore Diving .................................................................................................................. 15 8.4 Night Diving .................................................................................................................. 15 8.5 Deep Diving (greater than 30 metres) ............................................................................ 16 8.6 Solo Diving .................................................................................................................... 16 8.7 Diving with other Organisations .................................................................................... 16 8.8 Diving Overseas ............................................................................................................. 16 8.9 Snorkel Diving ............................................................................................................... 16 8.10 Decompression dives ................................................................................................... 16 1 8.11 Precautionary Decompression stops ............................................................................ 16 8.12 Diving in Low Visibility .............................................................................................. 17 8.13 Towed divers ................................................................................................................ 17 8.14 Termination of a dive ................................................................................................... 17 8.15 Hazardous conditions ................................................................................................... 17 9. DIVING EMERGENCIES PROCEDURES ....................................................................... 19 9.1 Missing diver ................................................................................................................. 19 9.2 Injured diver ................................................................................................................... 19 9.3 Oxygen therapy .............................................................................................................. 20 9.4 Accident reporting procedures ....................................................................................... 20 10. INFRINGEMENTS AND INQUIRIES ............................................................................. 21 10.1 Infringements ............................................................................................................... 21 10.2 Internal inquiries .......................................................................................................... 21 11. CONTROLS ...................................................................................................................... 21 12. APPENDICES ................................................................................................................... 22 Appendix 1 – Guidelines to Assessment of New Divers ......................................................... 23 A1.1 - Pre-Dive/Theory ....................................................................................................... 23 A1.2 - Swim And Surface Evaluation.................................................................................. 23 A1.3 - SCUBA Skill Evaluation .......................................................................................... 23 A1.4 - Snorkel Diving Skill Evaluation ............................................................................... 23 Appendix 2 – Factors Affecting Decompression Sickness ...................................................... 24 Appendix 3 – Diving Signals ................................................................................................... 28 A4.1 – Emergency Plan ....................................................................................................... 31 A4.2. – Emergency Reporting Procedures ........................................................................... 31 A4.2.1 – Minor Accidents and Near Accidents ............................................................... 31 A4.2.2 – Accidents Resulting In No Permanent Injury ................................................... 31 A4.2.3 – Accidents Resulting In Permanent Injury, Inability to Dive, or Death ............. 32 A4.2.4 – Administrative Reporting Procedures ............................................................... 32 A4.3 – Diving Emergency Protocols ................................................................................... 33 A4.3.1 – Emergency Response Protocol – Flow Chart ................................................... 34 A4.4 – Field Neurological Assessment Test ........................................................................ 35 Appendix 5 – Dive Tables ....................................................................................................... 37 Appendix 6 – Dive Medicals ................................................................................................... 38 Appendix 7 – Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control ......................................